Rear holding device for ski boots

ABSTRACT

A pivotable rear holding device for a ski boot on a ski which includes a pivotable jaw for vertically holding down the heel of the boot, and a horizontally pivotable plate for supporting the heel of the boot, the pivotable jaw is mounted on the pivotable plate and follows the lateral displacement of the latter.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Georges Pierre Joseph Salomon 34, Avenue de Loverchy, Annecy, Haute- Savoie, France [21] Appl. No. 789,680 [22] Filed Jan. 8, 1969 [45] Patented Oct. 19, 1971 [32] Priority Jan. 10, 1968, Dec. 20, 1968 [33] France [31] 135,562 and 1094/74 [54] REAR HOLDING DEVICE FOR SKI BOOTS 6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs. [52] U.S. Cl ..280/11.35 T [51] Int. Cl A63c 9/00 [50] Field of Search 280/1 1.35

[56] References Cited UN lTED STATES PATENTS 2,851,278 9/1958 Berlenbach 280/11.35

3,179,434 4/1965 Minishi 280/] 1.35 3,326,567 6/1967 Pronsati 280/11.35 3,350,110 10/1967 Salomon... 2811/1135 3,351,355 11/1967 Bruckl 280/1 1.35 Re. 26,670 9/1969 Smolka 280/11.35

Primary Examiner--Benjamin Hersh Assistant Examiner-Robert R. Song Attorney-Raymond A. Robic ABSTRACT: A pivotable rear holding device for a ski boot on a ski which includes a pivotable jaw for vertically holding down the heel of the boot, and a horizontally pivotable plate for supporting the heel of the boot, the pivotable jaw is mounted on the pivotable plate and follows the lateral displacement of the latter.

PATENTEUUET 19 Ian SHEET 10F 3 n a sis;

INVIL'N'I'UR. Gcaryes R J. SAZOMO/Y PAIENTEBum 19 I8?! 3,614. 1 l8 sum 3 or 3 FIG.5

Georyes P 1514101140 REAR HOLDING DEVICE FOR SKI BOOTS The present invention relates to a rear holding device for ski boots and in particular a device to prevent the hindrance of the jaw holding down the heel of the boot when a lateral shift is applied on the boot.

Rear holding devices for ski boots are known to hold the heel of the boot on the ski during forward and lateral falls.

Usually, in the above-mentioned devices, the heel of the boot is fixed between the ski or a plate fixed to the ski and a holding jaw.

This arrangement includes serious disadvantages. During lateral displacements of the jaw, for example, in the case of the security releasing of the lateral holding device, the releasing movement of the heel of the boot is hindered by the pressure exerted on the heel by the holding jaw or the like, and this constitutes a considerable obstacle for the good operation of the timely release of the lateral holding device.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages by a simple and efficacious device.

According to the invention, the heel of the boot is immobilized on the ski between, on the one hand, a holding jaw and, on the other hand, a resting member such as a mobile small plate, the said small plate being fixed to the pivoting axle of the holding jaw and, consequently, moving with the latter during its lateral displacements.

Preferably, guiding or rolling means is provided between the small plate and the ski in order to prevent any untimely overhang which would be detrimental to the good operation of the mechanism.

Furthermore, the resting member for the heel of the boot which is constituted by the small plate as described above, or any other element such as rollers, substantially follows the lateral displacement of the jaw by rotation around a vertical pivot of the device, or by flexible supports, the said member being preferably returned to its medium position by resilient elements.

Due to these arrangements, the heel of the boot does not create frictional resistance during the lateral movements of the holding jaw and consequently, does not hinder the lateral security releasing ofthe device.

The invention will be better understood by referring to the following detailed description and the annexed drawings which are provided as nonlimitative examples of preferred embodiments.

FIG. I is a longitudinal section ofa rear holding device for a ski boot on a ski according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the device shown in FIG. 1 illustrating a lateral security releasing arrangement;

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 are longitudinal sections of different embodiments according to the invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a part of the device shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a different embodiment according to the invention.

In FIG. 1, the boot I is fixed in position on the ski 2 between, on the one hand, a holding jaw 3, pivoting about an axis 6 and locked by a ball bearing 7 releasably held by a spring 8, and, on the other hand, a resting member constituted by a small plate 9, solidly riveted on the pivoting sleeve 10 on which is mounted the holding jaw. This pivoting sleeve 10 freely rotates in a cylindrical aperture provided in the block 11, which may pivot around the axis 12, solidly secured to the base plate 13, the said block being locked in a median position by a second ball bearing 16 pushed by a spring 17 in an appropriate housing 18 of the base plate; a threaded socket 19 is used for adjusting the tension of the spring 17.

When dangerous torsions are applied by the skier, the locking mechanism which includes the ball bearing 16 and the spring 17 releases and allows the block 11 to pivot, for example, according to the arrow 20 (FIG. 2); the holding jaw 3 of the small plate 9 both oscillates around the pivot 10 and follows the movement of the boot 1, then preventing in the first period of the security release any untimely retaining action between the ski and the holding jaw, the release of the boot relative to the said jaw and small plate being produced only when the block 11 has been fully released.

Similarly, in the case ofa forward fall of the skier, the holdingjaw 3 may become open by the compression of the locking mechanism located in the pivoting sleeve 10, and may then allow the security release of the boot. Furthermore, the security releases in the forward or in the lateral directions may be produced separately or simultaneously.

In FIG. 3, the block 26 differentiates from the previous figures only in that the lateral security blocking is obtained, in a known manner, by means of a piston 27, elastically pressed against a flat plate corresponding to the axle 28 of the said block, and in that a conical needle 29 is located under the small plate 30 so as to prevent the overhang of the latter and to facilitate its rotating movement. Preferably, a riding plate 31, fixed on the ski by the block 26, is interposed between the latter and the needle 29, so as to prevent any wear of the ski itself.

In FIG. 4, the block 34 is also substantially identical to the one in FIGS. 1 and 2, but it is a ball bearing 32 which is interposed between the riding plate 33 and the small plate 36, the said ball bearing being located in an appropriate housing in the small plate, which is solidly secured by a screw 37 to the pivoting member 38, on which is mounted the holding jaw 39 of the boot I. The locking mechanism of the jaw is located, not in the articulating pivot 38 itself but in a hole 40 provided in the said jaw.

In FIG. 5, the boot I is immobilized on the ski 2 between, on the one hand, the holding jaw 3 rotating about the axis 6 and locked by the ball bearing 7 compressed by a spring 8 and on the other hand a small resting plate 45, rotating about the fixed axle 48. This small plate 45 does not move with the rising of the jaw 3 when the boot is removed from the device, but substantially moves in a lateral direction, on the ski, by rotation around the axle 48. The displacement of the small plate 45 is provided over a wedge 46, made of a material having a low coefficient of friction and over the base plate 49. The small plate 45 has the tendency to return to a median position due to the spring 47 located simultaneously across the base plate 49 and in the small plate 45.

In FIG. 6, the spring 47 enables to return the small plate 45 in its median position, by rotation around the axle 48 solidly secured to the base plate 49, the wedge 46 made of a material having a low coefficient of friction providing very little resistance to the return spring 47.

In FIG. 7, the block 55 differentiates from the block described in FIG. 1 in that it comprises only one pivoting axis 56. In this case, the holding jaw 57 rotates around the axle 52. The resting member following substantially the lateral movements of the block 55 and the jaw 57, is constituted by two rollers 59 and 60 mounted on the arms of a stirrup 58, made for example in spring wire, the extremities of the said arms being solidly secured to the supporting plate of the block; such an arrangement under the effect of a lateral pressure, follows the movement of the heel and takes up a position illustrated by the dotted line 61. It elastically returns to its median position of rest when the pressure ceases to be exerted.

The rear holding device for ski boots such as described above may be adapted on any type of skis and be used with any type of front abutment or stirrups without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Iclaim:

1. A pivotable rear holding device for a ski boot on a ski, comprising:

a base plate adapted to be fixed on a ski,

a block pivotally mounted on said base plate about a vertical axis,

means for resiliently maintaining said block in a predetermined position relative to the base plate,

a small plate pivotally mounted on said block and adapted to support the heel of a ski boot,

a ski runner and comprising:

a base plate adapted to be mounted on the ski runner behind the boot, a block pivotally mounted on said base plate about a substantially vertical axis,

means for resiliently maintaining the said block in a predetermined position,

means mounted in front of said block for supporting the heel of the ski boot, said supporting means including a jaw pivotally mounted on top of said block about substantially horizontal and vertical axes and a small plate pivotally mounted under said block about the vertical axis of the jaw, said jaw and said small plate adapted to hold the said heel of the boot therebetween and to follow the lateral motion of said heel, and

antifriction means being provided between the said ski runner and said small plate for bearing the latter and permitting a smooth lateral motion of the said plate.

3. A rear holding device as recited in claim 2, wherein the resilient means comprise a spring detent mechanism positioned between the said-block and the said base plate and providing a thrust therebetween.

4. A rear holding device as recited in claim 2, wherein the resilient means comprise a spring detent mechanism positioned through the said block and exerting a thrust on the said base plate.

5. A rear holding device as recited in claim 2, wherein a spring detent mechanism is mounted between the said jaw and the said small plate.

6. A rear holding device as recited in claim 2, wherein a rolling bearing is provided between the small plate and the ski to facilitate the pivoting action of the said small plate relative to said block. 

1. A pivotable rear holding device for a ski boot on a ski, comprising: a base plate adapted to be fixed on a ski, a block pivotally mounted on said base plate about a vertical axis, means for resiliently maintaining said block in a predetermined position relative to the base plate, a small plate pivotally mounted on said block and adapted to support the heel of a ski boot, pivotable jaw means mounted on said small plate about a horizontal axis for resiliently and downwardly holding the heel of the boot on the small plate, whereby the said jaw means and said small plate move with the heel of the boot when the latter has lateral movements.
 2. A pivotable rear holding device for a ski boot mounted on a ski runner and comprising: a base plate adapted to be mounted on the ski runner behind the boot, a block pivotally mounted on said base plate about a substantially vertical axis, means for resiliently maintaining the said block in a predetermined position, means mounted in front of said block for supporting the heel of the ski boot, said supporting means including a jaw pivotally mounted on top of said block about substantially horizontal and vertical axes and a small plate pivotally mounted under said block about the vertical axis of the jaw, said jaw and said small plate adapted to hold the said heel of the boot therebetween and to follow the lateral motion of said heel, and antifriction means being provided between the said ski runner and said small plate for bearing the latter and permitting a smooth lateral motion of the said plate.
 3. A rear holding device as recited in claim 2, wherein the resilient means comprise a spring detent mechanism positioned between the said block and the said base plate and providing a thrust therebetween.
 4. A rear holding device as recited in claim 2, wherein the resilient means comprise a spring detent mechanism positioned through the said block and exerting a thrust on the said base plate.
 5. A rear holding device as recited in claim 2, wherein a spring detent mechanism is mounted between the said jaw and the said small plate.
 6. A rear holding device as recited in claim 2, wherein a rolling bearing is provided between the small plate and the ski to facilitate the pivoting action of the said small plate relative to said block. 